1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to resource conservation apparatus and, in particular to a new and useful water and energy conserving device adapted to be used in food serving establishments where refrigeration units are used and where a large supply of hot water is necessary.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Food serving establishments such as restaurants and diners, require a large and ready supply of hot water for dishwashing, general cleaning, and food preparation purposes. These establishments also require a plurality of refrigeration units for cooling the various refrigeration boxes needed to preserve large quantities of food and for cooling such other devices a beverage dispensing apparatus for carbonating and dispensing soda or for dispensing water.
Heretofor it has been common practice to cool the compressors using cold water drawn from a general water supply connected to the establishment. The same cold water supply is used to supply water to the often large and high capacity hot water heaters used in such establishments. The hot water heaters used in these establishments are supplied with a fuel such as gas, oil, or electricity for heating the hot water in a tank provided in the hot water heater.
It is not uncommon to pay several thousand dollars a month in water and heating bills in a medium size establishment of between 100 to 200 seat capacity. In these establishments usually there is needed approximately 8 tons of refrigeration. Water consumption of such an establishment is on the order of approximately 100 to 200 gallons per hour per ton. That is, a total of 800 to 960 gallons of water is used in one hour. Where the establishment is open for business for a substantial portion of the day, as is the case with diners, there is a tremendous loss of water, and energy in heating the water.
Refrigeration units in such establishments usually include compressors for compressing a compressible medium such as Freon or other gas and, a reservoir or coils into which the compressed medium is permitted to expand for absorbing heat and producing a refrigeration effect. These compressors, when they are not cooled by water, are cooled by the ambient air. Such air cooled compressors are often of low efficiency since they are unable to shed sufficient heat especially when several compressors are working simultaneously to raise the ambient temperature. A loss of such efficiency is accompanied with an increase in the used energy which is usually electricity, for powering the compressors.
Various devices are known for utilizing, conserving and recirculating heat. Examples of such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,255,967 to Collins issued Sept. 16, 1941. Other examples are U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,761 to Borgerd issued June 26, 1956; U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,183 to Gustafsson issued Nov. 2, 1976 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,123 to Davies issued Aug. 24, 1976. These patents have been cited as relevant in showing prior art structures for utilizing heat.